Measurement-Based Care in the Treatment of Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders
SUMMARY – This report expands upon the 2015 Kennedy Forum report to include additional measures and research supporting the use of MBC for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders in primary, specialty, and acute care settings. The report also addresses payment and policy strategies for expanding access to MBC.
75%
improvement in remission rates between those who receive MBC vs treatment as usual
Project Details
Like all other health conditions, interventions for mental health conditions work best when they are detected early and treated aggressively, when symptoms are less severe and more treatable. Utilizing Measurement-based Care, the use of repeated, validated measures to track symptoms and outcomes, ensures individualized care by using critical decision points to alter treatment throughout the episode of care.
Measurement-based care is standard medical practice for all other health conditions.
It is in the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders that MBC is not consistently used or currently required. However, as more providers, health care purchasers, and health care consumers are educated on and experience the significant benefits of integrating MBC into the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, this is changing.
This paper was commissioned by The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
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